Cornice



Jan. 23, 1951 H. ZIEMMERMAN CORNICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 20, 1946 Jan. 23, 1951 H. ZIEMMERMAN CORNICE :2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 20, 1946 Jhcenfr fliz yZzeirz 7726777266272,

rill!!! Patented Jan. 23, 1951 CORNICE Henry Ziemmerman, Chicago, Ill., assignor to Chicago Cardboard Company, Chicago, 111., 'a corporation of Illinois ApplicatioriMarch ZQ, wagerin No. 655,827

This invention relates in general to a cornice for supporting rods and curtains at a window. or doorway, and is more particularly described as an adjustable and foldable structure of this kind of which the principal parts are composed of cardboard, and the like.

An important object of the invention is'to provide an adjustable folding structure of cardboard or similar material which may be collapsedor folded in a minimum space for shipment and storage but which is easily unfolded, set up, attached and extended for actual use in connection.

with a window or door frame, or any other suit-- able support.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved simple means for attaching and supporting a cornice structure in outwardly spaced or extended position at the ends thereof. 7

A further object of the invention is to con struct the ends so that they will fold and unfold in hinged relation.

A further object of the invention is to provide suitable spacing and supporting means interme diate the ends thereof.

Other and further objects of the invention will appear in the specification and will be apparent from the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a front view and Fig. 2 is a side View.

of ya cornice in accordance with this invention set up in distended position; I

' Fig. 3 is a perspective of one of the corners shown inFig.1; Fig. 4 is a perspective of the corner of" Fig. in fiat or collapsed position; I

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a perspective of a cornice end and its supporting means; Fig. '7 is a sectional view showing the of attaching the corner of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 9 is a perspective showing a modified end support;

Figs. 10 and .11 are perspective views of an end support made of flexible material such as cardboard, in supporting position, and in open or unattached position; and

Fig. 12 is a perspective of a cornice extended for attachment with a central member having connected hinged arms for attachingjsupporting, and spacing it from a Window or other frame to which it is attached, intermediate the ends thereof.

Jin important feature of the present invention method sectional View taken onthline 7 cla'imsgfff (01 159-39) 2 I x is t providea decorative rod and curtain support .Whichis foldable and djustable, which is V easily setup and connected, and which is also composed principally of materials for which there is no War time restriction, such, for example, as small wood blocks and paper or pasteboardfolding and connecting parts. The present invention overcomes-the objections and fulfills the desired requirements by providing flat telescopingsectionswhich are foldable and adjustable, and by providing improved" simple means for 'supporting and attaching the ends of the cornice and also the portions intermediate the ends so that when set up, the cornice will be spaced from the frame to which it is attached, the means forlattachingthe cornice itself and the rod supporting the vices of the cornice will be hidden from view at the front thereof, and the cornice itself will present a decorative and finished appearance which is both pleasing and of suitable rigidity. 7

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, a cornice structure is shown having a central sleeve member I6 and end pieces I! and I8 inserted at the ends thereof and fitting snugly for separate telescoping adjustment thereof,

These parts are preferably made of thin, flexible sheet material such as cardboard, folded over flatly together' sothat the edges are rounded, folded, edges ifl 'of the end pieces preferably abutting and being secured to an inside strip or plate 20 t by" adhesive .attachment thereto. Thesemembersirnay also be completed by overlappingjends *2! and 22 ofone of the members iBhsillustratedmore clearly in Fig. 5.

The outer extremity of each end member is connectedthereto by a hin e 23 formed of the material .thereofbyjsuitably creasing or scoring it transversely,j'f'orming anoflsetting and spacing'farm.,.24.fj "Attachedtothe inner face of each arm-.i's' a mounting block 25, the inner edge of which is flush with the inner edge of the arm so that when applied to a frame 26 or any other suitable support-it will fit flatly and flushly thereon.- -In the upper edge of this block are one or more notches 2'! for seating a curtain rod or rods therein, and at the rear edge is'a recess 28 with an upper undercut extension 29 for seating an upturned end 30 of a supporting hook 3| therein. This hookis inserted into a frame at the proper height so thatwhen the end piece is applied thereto, the extremity of the hook will pass through the op-enm 28in the blockand will be seated in the extension 29 thereof, hold- 3 ing the end piece tightly against the frame 26 or other support.

If the cornice is applied to a wide frame or requires an intermediate support, ablock 32 is attached to the rear side of the intermediate sleeve member 16 and has a slot 33 at its inner side adapted to engage an angular-end 340i a spacing plate '35 connected to a similar attaching plate 36 by a screw 31 and slot 38 forming an adjustable spacing connection therewith, the other end of the plate 36 having a perforated angular extremity 39 for attaching it to the frame 26 or other support.

The connecting portion of this spacing-support is preferably located below the level of the rod supporting notches 21 so that the rods will extend over and may be supportedintermediate "their ends by the plates 35 and 36.

When a decorative cover 40 is applied to the outer exposed faces of the sleeve and end members I6, 11, and I8, the portions extending over the-hinged extremities24 from and'beyond the hinge 23 itself are free from actual connection with the face of the end members so that when each extremity 4| willoverlap the end 24 in the fiat position of the end member l8,'but when the spacing extremity 24 is folded at right angles in settingup thecornice, the extremity -41 of the cover ll) will be drawn flush with the end ofthe spacing extremity 24. The extremity M of the cover may therefore be connected to the spacing end 24 by flexible adhesive tabs 42 asshown in Fig. 4 01 oneend 44 of the cover 40 may be extended and folded inwardly as shown in Figs. 6 and '7 being drawn flush with the end of-the supporting block when the hinge extremity of the end piece is set at right anglesin spacing position.

Instead of therod-supporting'block being recessed to receive the bent end of a hook, the lower inner edge of a block 50 may beprovided as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and swan a recess'5l for receiving a shank -2 of an-ordinary nail with a communicatinglarger recess 53 spaced from the inner contacting edge of the block to receive a head 54 of the nail,the block' being thus engaged and heldin place over thehead of the nail insertedin a window frame orother support.

Instead of recessingthe block, an angle bracket 55 as shown in Fig. 9 may have one portion thereof attached to the block by suitable fastening screws 56 with a keyhole opening 51 in theother angular part by means ofwhich the bracket may be engaged over the headof a nail or screw attached to the support, in a well known manner.

If desired, the-intermediate or end, pieces may be slidably supported byarms made entirely of flexible sheet material such as cardboard "as shown more clearly in Figs. loand ll. A strip of material is cut,scored,'andfolded to provideconnected arm portions 60 separatedbya hinge'Gl. Hinged at the outer ends ofthe'arm portions are one or more transverse plates "82 with angular ends having perforations 7 63 extending beyond the arm portions. The armiportionsaraturned inwardly'tog'ether and the plates 'are'placed in overlapping relaticn 'with the-perforations 83 m istering with'ea'ch other so that-the-arms are angularly separated and theperforated-ends are free for the insertion of a fastening nail onscrew therethrough which is applied to :the window frame or support as desired. :A loop :64- of cord, ribbon, or other flexible material is applied-within the arm structureand overthe-outer face of a cornice member 65 which may be adjusted relatively to the supporting arm if a telescoping structure is used. This type of support eliminates the necessity of blocks, metal plates or supports other than of the same material as the telescoping members of the cornice.

A further cornice spacing structure is shown in Fig. 12 in which a central sleeve member 10 also formed of "flexible sheet-material is provided with integral hinged arms H projecting from the rear at the top of the member, either at the center, or adjacent each end, as shown in Fig. 12, the outer ends of the arm having a wider hinged portion 12 with perforated ends 13 free for attachment by inserting nails, screws or other fastening devices through the perforations. With this construction, the arms H would be attached in the desired location with the member 10 in raised position and when it is swung downwardly, the end pieces may be inserted and attached, the arms H spacing the cornice outwardly in alignment with the spacing of 'the hinged end pieces 24 as shown.

In all of these forms, the material forming the separate pieces is light and strong because of the shape, telescoping engagement and angular disposition of the parts when set up so that comparatively heavy curtains and drapes may be supported thereby; the parts are readily set up, connected together and placed in any desired supporting position; and the parts are as easily and as readily disengaged, taken down, unfolded andplaced in relatively flat position where they would take a minimum space for shipment and storage, thereby constituting a novel and desirable article of manufacture.

Various decorative covers may be applied to the center and end pieces, the latter being unconnected near their extremities to fold flush with the ends as above set forth.

I claim:

1. Aflatly foldable and extensible cornice of cardboard, comprising telescoping sections adjustable for length, the outer sections have integral hinged ends, and means secured at the extremities of the ends for releasably engaging projections from a fixed support, said means comprising a block at each end forming a curtain rod support and having arecess at the end provided with an extension at. right angles thereto inwardly from the end for engaging over a headed projection from a fixed support.

2. Ina flatly foldable and extensible cornice for a window frame, a plurality of telescoping sections, the outer sections having integral hinged ends, means secured at the extremities of the ends for engaging projections from the frame and holding them in end abutting positionwith respectto the frame, and'an adjustable support intermediate the ends of the cornice attached to the frame and engaging the rear of .one of the sections for upholding it and spacing it outwardly from the frame, thesaid-end engaging means having curtain rod supports and the intermediate supporting means also being. located to provide curtain rod supports intermediate the ends thereof.

3. A foldable and extensible cornice of cardboard, comprising a plurality of telescoping sections, the outer sections having integral hinged ends, means secured at the extremities of the ends-for releasably engaging fixed supports and holding-themat right angles to the remainder of the section in supporting the cornice, and a decorative cover for each outer section having the portion overlying the'hinge and extending outwardly over the end and movable relatively thereto, the end of the cover being thus movable relatively to align its end with the end portion of the section when they are at right angles, and the extremity of the cover having a loosely engaging connection with the extremity of the said end for holding it in connection therewith.

4. In a flatly foldable and extensible cornice of cardboard, a plurality of telescoping sections, the outer sections having integral hinged ends, means secured at the extremities of the ends for engaging and releasably holding them at right angles to the remainder of the sections, and a decorative cover for each of the outer sections having a portion connected to the face of the section and that portion overlying the hinge and the end of the section being movable relatively thereto and having an end tab inserted within extending inwardly into interconnection with the extremity of the hinged end to provide a slidable connection therewith.

5. In a flatly foldable and extensible cornice, a plurality of telescoping sections, the outer sections having integral hinged ends, a decorative cover for each of the outer sections attached to a portion of the face of the section but free over the hinge and end portion thereof for movement relatively to the adjacent end when it is folded, and adhesive tabs for loosely connecting the outer extremity of the end of the cover with the outer extremity of the end of the section to accommodate the relative movement thereof.

6. In a flatly foldable and extensible cornice of cardboard, a plurality of telescoping sections, the outer sections having integral hinged ends, means secured at the insides near the extremities of the ends for supporting the cornice and alsofor supporting curtain rods therein, said means comprising a block with upper open recesses for seating the ends of curtain rods therein, and a recess at the lower extremity of the end of the block with an enlargement at the inner end of the recess for receiving the head and shank of a nail, screw, and other similar headed projections.

7. In a flatly foldable and extensible cornice, a plurality of flat telescoping sections, the outer sections having integral hinged ends, means secured near the extremities of the ends for supporting curtain rods in the cornice and for engaging headed supporting projections and holding the ends at right angles to the remainder of the cornice, a support intermediate the ends of the cornice comprising a block attached to the back of a section and having a recess at the underside of the block, and connected adjustable plates to underlie curtain rods in the cornice and support them intermediate their ends, one plate engaging the said recess of the block and the other plate adapted for connection to a fixed support.

HENRY ZIEMMERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED 0 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

